Ravine Drive Elementary School
February 2021
February Highlights
A Note from the Principal:
It may be hard to believe, but we have passed the half-way point of the academic school year - as we are now in Marking Period 3! Report cards for Marking Period 2 should be available for viewing via the Parent Portal beginning Monday, February 8th. Throughout the upcoming weeks, your child's teacher will also be forwarding information to you to begin scheduling mid-year parent/teacher conferences. Conferences will once again be conducted virtually. Evening Conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, 3/10 and Afternoon Conferences are scheduled for Thursday, 3/11.
As the school year continues to move forward, please continue to check your emails for the latest updates from Dr. Majka regarding the various programs for the district. For your convenience, I am including the link to the MARSD Cohort Calendar, as well as a link to Dr. Majka's Community Letter from 02/05/21.
In addition, be sure to check our Ms. Arey's webpage to view the winning student designs for the Ravine Drive Snow Globe Design Contest. Ms. Arey had her students learn about the habitats of Arctic animals and then design an original snow globe showcasing the Arctic animal. Ms. Arey then recreated the winning images and placed them in our very own "Snow Globe" to welcome our students as they enter the building. Great job to all who participated!
As always, if you have any questions, please contact our main office at 732-705-5800.
Wishing you all good health!
Jessie Zitarosa
Interim Principal
Inclement Weather
In addition, please make sure all of your parent portal information (for yourself and any contacts) is correct. In the event of a school closing due to inclement weather, it will be important for you to receive up-to-date information from the school district.
Reminder About Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Here are a few reminders for students who are coming to the building for in-person instruction:
- Parents/Guardians will need to complete the daily Crisisgo app each morning. In addition, a parent or guardian will need to escort the student(s) to the building or the bus stop and display the green Crisisgo QR code to a staff member so it can be scanned into our system.
- Parents/Guardians of "walkers" will need to park in the kiss and drop loop parking lot or along neighborhood streets and walk their child/children to the designated building entrances. Parents may not drop off or pick-up students within the loop itself. This is a safety hazard.
- At the designated dismissal times, parents/guardians who will be picking-up their child/children are reminded to stand at the designated areas for their child's/children's classrooms or bus stops and adhere to all social distancing guidelines while on school property or bus stops. This includes the wearing of masks.
- The doors open for student arrival at 9:10 AM and school begins promptly at 9:20 AM. If a child is tardy, the parent/guardian will need to escort the child to the main entrance at the front of the building by the flag pole and follow the school's sign-in procedures.
Important Dates to Remember!
- 02/08: BOE Meeting - Committee of the Whole - 6:30 PM
- 02/09: CAP Parent Workshop - Virtual - 6:00 PM
- 02/12: Early Dismissal/4 Hour Session-All students and staff dismiss @ 1:20 PM
- 02/15: School Closed - Presidents' Day
- 02/16: 100th Day of School
- 02/17: Early Dismissal/4 Hour Session - All students dismiss @ 1:20 PM
- 02/18: PTO Zoom Meeting - 6:30 PM
- 02/19: PTO Virtual Family Science Event - 5:00 PM
- 02/22: BOE Meeting - Regular Action Meeting - 6:30 PM
For your reference:
February Health Tips from Nurse Lorenzo
Nurse Lorenzo is the School Nurse at Ravine Drive Elementary School. Each month she provides our families with tips for good health.
Read every day. Reading is an essential component of your child’s success in school. Let reading be a part of your child’s playtime and bedtime routines.
Make eating colorful. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Let the colors range from red,orange, yellow, green and white.
Limit television time. Children should not watch more than 1 to 2 hours of television a day. Try and encourage your child to do something active during the day. Maybe jump rope, take a walk or play in the yard.
Prevent colds and viruses. Practice good hand washing and avoid touching your face, eyes or mouth with unclean hands.
Bundle up. Make sure you are wearing the appropriate cold weather clothing during these winter months. Scarves, gloves and hats when necessary.
If you have any questions for Nurse Lorenzo, she can be reached by email at klorenzo@marsd.org or by calling 732-705-5890.
Questions About Travel or Illness
If you have recently travelled or have spent time with someone who is ill, please make sure to notify your child’s teacher, our school nurse, and the main office. This information is important for keeping all of our school’s occupants healthy and safe.
After you notify the school, our school nurse, Mrs. Karen Lorenzo, will contact you to discuss details, next steps, and when your child will be eligible for returning to in-person learning.
If you have questions, please contact Nurse Lorenzo at klorenzo@marsd.org or by calling 732-705-5830.
Ms. Feen's Counseling Corner
If you have any questions for Ms. Feen, she can be reached by emailing her at kfeen@marsd.org.
Additional News and Information About Our School
Kindergarten Registration - 2021-2022
Information from Ravine Drive Elementary PTO
Please click on the links below to find out more information about our PTO as well as upcoming fundraisers and events!
Free Preschool for Matawan-Aberdeen Residents
The Matawan Aberdeen Regional School District is excited to announce its free preschool program which is now open! Please click here to learn more about the program and how you may register your child.